Fluid-pressure-delivery mechanism for locomotive-feed-water-heater systems



E. A; A VERILL' FLUID PRESSURE DELIVERY MiCHANISM FOR LOCOMQTIVE FEED WATER HEATER SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED JULY I, 1919'.

1,376,064. Patented Apr. .26, 1921;

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Jig/f WlTNESS INVENTOR.

I E. A. AVERILL. FLUID PRESSURE DELIVERY'MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE FEED WATER HEATERSYSTEMS.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY I, [919. 1,376,064. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

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EARL A. AVERILL, F MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LO OOMO'IIVE FEED WATER HEATER OOMIANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FLUID-PRESSURE-DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR LoooMoTivE-rnEn-wATnn-HnATEn .SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1, 1919. Serial No. 308,042.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, EARL A. AVERILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at' Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure-Delivery Mechanism for L0- comotive-Feed-VVater-Heater Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fluid pressure delivery mechanism designed for application in locomotive feed water heater systems in which exhaust steam is used as the heating medium. It is particularly useful in constructions of the type illustrated and described in my copending application, Se-

' rial No. 213,872, filed January 26, 1918, and in detail of construction and operation it consists of an improvement over what is disclosed in another of my pending applications on similar subject matter, same be ing application, Serial No. 226,826, filed April 5th, 1918. The general object of my present invention is to provide, in apparatus of the general character disclosed in my applications above mentioned, simple and reliable means for effecting the delivery of the condensate, from the feed water heater to a filter located on the water supply receptacle of the locomotive or to any, other desired point, delivery to a filter being made in order to free the condensate from the lubricating oil which passes into'the heater with the exhaust steam, the oil being collected in asuitable receptacle and the water being returned, for example, to the water tank or the line of supply. I

More particularly my improvement has for its object the provision of an automatic device using compressed air for forcing the water up to the filter, said device being constructed to use as little compressed air as possible for this purpose and designed to come into action only when absolutely required.

It should be noted that in locomotive practice ,where the well known surface type of feed water heater employing exhaust steam as the heating medium, is used, it is generally placed at the frontend of the locomotive near the cylinders, and is, in this position below the level of the supplytank 1 or tender. In connectionwith such arrange- .ment it is, therefore, obvious, that if the Patented Apr. 2c, 1921.

condensate from the feed water heater is to be savedand returned to the Supply tank, and it is the purpose of this invention to save the condensate-instead of draining it out upon the track as'has been customary, it will be necessary to lift the condensate from the heater to a point above the upper level of the water in thesupply tank. A filter is provided, as before mentioned, where the oil taken in with the exhaust steam from the cylinders is separated from the water prior to the return of the water to the tank.

Ordinarily the pressure in the heater body is sufiicient to elevate the condensate from the heater to a point above the upper Water level in the water supply tank. At times, however, the pressure in the heater is insufficient to accomplish this and the heater would, if no means were provided for preventing it, fill with water thus destroying not only the accomplishment of its own function but also interfering with the operation of the locomotive inasmuch as the heater is directly connected to the cylinder exhaust. It is highly desirable that the heater be kept free from water of condensation at all times, and it is the object of my invention to provide a device using compressed air to elevate'the Water from the heater to the tank whenever the pressure in the heater is not suiiicient of itself to accomplish this result. At the same-time it is also desirable that aslittle as possible of the compressed air supply be used for this purpose and, therefore, the auxiliary elevating apparatus should be so arranged as to come into action only when absolutely required. In order to accomplish this purpose I have provided a device which Ihave, illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, whereintj Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation'illustrating the application of my invention and Fig. 2'is a vertical sectional view of the valve operating-"mechanism.

In the diagrammatic showing of Fig. 1,

the feed water heater A,- which is usually located at the front end of a locomotive as before stated, is shown connected to the filter B, which may be located at the top of the water supplytank and therefore at a level above that of the feed water heater,

tankand the float chamber are always at the same internal pressure as the heater and thus, when the pressure within the heater is suflicient to elevate the water to the filter, there will be no tendency for the water to back up in this direction.

When, however, the pressure within the heater is not sufficient to raise the water to the filter it willlie dead in the connection between the heater and the filter and as its level continues to rise it will fill the auxiliary tank and the float chamber. hen this takes place, referring to Fig. 2, the float 9 will rise on the water within the cage 10. When the float 9 strikes the top member 11 of the cage, it does not immediately actuate the valve to which it is connected by means of the lever 12, but is held stationary until,

the water rises somewhat farther, thereby increasing the buoyancy of the float. When --suflicient buoyancy has been attained the lever 12 is moved upwardly and the pin 13 opens the ball valve 14 thereby admitting air pressure to the float chamber and the auxiliary tank through the air supply pipe 8. The lever 12 is pivoted at the point 15.

' Simultaneously with the opening of the ball valve 14: and the admission of air pressure to the float chamber the valve 16 closes and shuts off communication to the pipe 7 with the heater A, thereby preventing air pressure from reaching the heater. The air pressure then forces the water out of the auxiliary tank through the Y or jet connection which insures movement of the water toward the'filter with suflicient velocity so that it will not back up into the heater through the pipe 1 so long as the filter end is not obstructed. The air entering through the pipe 8 and the valve 14 is reduced in pressure by compelling it to flow through the small opening 17 in the member 18. The weight of the cage and of the counterbalance 19'and the associated parts, together with the air pressure on the upper surface of the valve 16, is such that the valve 14 will remain open and the valve 16 closed until such time as the float 9 again rests upon the spring 20 attached to the bottom member 21 of the cage 10. When this occurs the weight at the right hand side of the pivot 15 is sufli cient to overcome the weight at the left hand side and the pressure on the upper surface of the valve 16, so that the valve 14 will oncemore be closed and the valve 16 open,

the parts then being in their initial position filter for a short period of time only and then rise again before the water in the float chamber reaches the necessary level for operating the valve, is that the water will be forced out of the auxiliary tank and elevated to the filter directly by the backpressure in the feed water heater without using any air pressure from the air supply line 8. The device never operates to admit air pressure until such moment as it is absolutely needed to prevent the water backing up into the heater and thus reduces to an absolute minimum, the amount of air consumed in the operation of a device of thisv character.

Another feature of this arrangement is that the auxiliary tank is connected to the body of the heater and, therefore, there is no opening to the atmosphere through which steam or hot water could escape and obstruct the vision of the engineer.

It should also be noted that in the assembly of the parts as herein illustrated the float and its valve can be located at any point remote from the auxiliary tank so long as it maintains the same level of the water as that which prevails in the tank and is connected to the tank at the top and bottom. This permits of the location of the float chamber and its valve at a point convenient for inspection and repair so that, in case of trouble, it can be removed bodily and replaced by a similar part, the worn or broken part being sent to the shop where skilled men are available for its repair. However, if it is more convenient, the float can be located within the tank and the valve in a removable case secured to the side thereof.

Suitable provisions are, of course, provided for the drain of the system and for its full protection from freezing in case of severe cold weather.

I claim:

1. In a fluid pressure delivery mechanism for feed water heating systems, the combination, with a feed water heater drain pipe, of a tank communicating with said drain pipe, a pressure equalizing connection from the heater to said tank, a valvular mechanism for alternately imposing fluid pressure on, and relieving it from, the delivery tank, a valve for shutting off communication with the equalizing connection at such times as the tank is being subjected to fluid pressure, means actuated by the water in the tank for operating the said valvular mechanism and the said valve, and means for delivering water from the tank to a supply receptacle. 2. In a fluid pressure delivery mechanism for feed water heating systems, the combination, with a feed water heater drain pipe, of a tank communicating with said drain pipe, a pressure equalizing connection from the heater to said tank, means for alternately supplying air pressure to the tank and for cutting it off therefrom, means for shutting ofi' communication with the equalizing connection at the times when pressure is being supplied to the tank, means actuated by the water in the tank for controlling the air supply means and the means for shutting of]? communication with the equalizing connection, and means for delivering water from the tank to a supply receptacle.

3. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, and a fluid actuated condensate discharge device comprising, a float operated pressure admission valve, a condensate accumulating chamber containing said float, and a jet connection for discharging condensate from the float chamber into the condensate delivery line upon admission of pressure by said float operated valve.

4. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, a connection between the heater and the delivery line in which condensate may accumulate, and means in said connection for discharging said condensate in order to prevent back flow to the heater.

5. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, a connection between the heater and the delivery line in which condensate may accumulate, and means for imposing fluid pressure upon the condensate in said connection to discharge the same should it accumulate to a predetermined amount, whereby back flow of condensate to the heater is prevented.

6. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, a connection between the heater and the delivery line, means for imposing fluid pressure upon the condensate in said connection and 'means for preventing back flow to the heater.

7. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, a connection between the heater and the delivery line in which condensate may accumulate, and means under the control of the accumulated condensate for preventing back flow to the heater.

8. In combination, a feed water heater, a condensate delivery line from the heater, a connection between the heater and the delivery line in which condensate may accumulate, and means under the control of the condensate in said connection for imposing fluid pressure thereon should the condensate accumulate to a predetermined quantity, said fluid pressure operating tomaintain delivery of condensate from the delivery line.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EARL A. AVERILL. 

